Marketing

Here are a few hints: 

Ideally, you will have thought about your market while you were writing your book. You should have already talked to those who are going to sell copies of your book. 

Marketing is about 

• Reaching the target audience
• Telling them your book is available
• Persuading them to read it

Which activities you undertake depends on the type of book you're marketing. A local history book, a course textbook and a romantic novel need very different marketing approaches. It is your job as publisher to work out  how to reach your market.

You will need some good copy for the cover and for your information sheet. It is a skilled task so ask a professional copy-writer to write this or try our Blurb-writing service. 

Preparation

• You need a good press release, easily modifiable for different marketing shots.
• Increasingly you have to market yourself rather than the book.  What the press needs is stories they can place which allow you to mention the book. Look for the short features like 'my first car' and submit a story about you in which you can mention your book. You can use this as bait for the broadcast media. Don't forget that journals prepare their copy months before publication.

Reviews

It is extremely  difficult to obtain a review of your book in the national press so find alternative routes. Local papers and local radio are open to new writers, especially if some topical or local link can be contrived. You can link this to marketing to the local bookshops. Indeed, the buyer at the local bookshop may only take the book if they know there is a review coming.

Focus your efforts on relevant journals or magazines. Always make personal contact and send a review copy only if requested. Be patient. It may be several months before you get any column inches for your book. 

You should be able to get into the local news pages which is fine for stories with a local market. It always helps to add a biography and a bit about writing the book to your information sheet. 

Web marketing

The internet is where it's all happening now, especially for media products such as books. If you have not already done so, consider getting a blog going and think about the best place to put your website. Setting up a website is an essential first step, but you will need to have a clear idea about  how you are going to get people to visit it and how to keep it updated.

And, crucially, you should make sure your title is available through Amazon (.co.uk and .com). Explore the sites and see just how much they do to promote the books featured there. They profile their customers and suggest books they might like based on titles previously ordered. Amazon also allow readers to rate books so you might get some audience feedback.

The book trade

The big booksellers have central buying systems, so the scope for marketing yourself to them is limited but it's still worth trying. Independent bookshops are often more supportive of local authors, so it is well worth trying to get them to support your book.

Online sales

If you expect to sell most of your early copies online then you you must work on your web page and enable visitors to buy the book from your site. You might put up some of the illustrations and background relating to the writing of the book. Interview yourself and explain why you wrote the book. Talk about the characters. Explain the background to any historic incidents in your narrative.

Social media

It is increasingly important to be active on social media. If you are already there use them to promote yourself and your book. If not, consider getting yourself onto X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and BookTok, and learn how to promote yourself.

Signings

Very few people can pack a bookshop or store for a book signing. Most authors are very happy to attract 20 people. People whom you regard as famous and successful writers will travel hundreds of miles to talk to the public and sign a few copies of their work. Their motives are diverse. Part is promotion but in return they get a look at real readers. Most report that it is good for their egos in spite of the travel.

Resolve to allocate one day each week, or perhaps an hour a day, to web promotion, ringing round, writing letters and working to get your book into the marketplace.